1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connection terminal for electrically connecting to a mating terminal used in a connector configured to connect boards for example, and a connector including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a type of connector which includes a connector main body, into which a connection portion of a mating connector is inserted, and a plurality of terminals mutually arrayed with at intervals in the width direction within the connector main body, has been known. Upon mating terminals being inserted into the connector main body, the terminals of the connector main body come into contact with the mating terminals while being elastically deformed in the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the object to be connected to (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-175847).
The terminals used for this connector include first and second contact portions mutually disposed in the insertion direction of the mating terminals with at intervals, a first elastic piece portion capable of elastic deformation in the direction of contact with the mating terminals where the first contact portion is provided, and a second elastic piece portion capable of elastic deformation in the direction of contact with the mating terminals where the second contact portion is provided. The first and second contact portions are configured to come into contact with the same position in the width direction of the mating terminals.
Specifically, upon the mating terminals being inserted to the terminals, the first contact portions come into contact with the mating terminals prior to the second contact portions of the terminals. Accordingly, even when foreign matter such as trash or dirt or the like adheres to the mating terminals, the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portions, so poor conduction between the second contact portions and the mating terminals can be prevented.
Incidentally, the terminals are each formed so that the first and second elastic piece portions obliquely extend toward the mating terminals from a terminal main body, and accordingly, when one of the first and second elastic piece portions is elastically deformed, the other elastic piece portion is displaced in the same direction. This has caused the following problem. After the first contact portion comes into contact with its mating terminal, the first elastic piece portion is also displaced in the same direction as with the second elastic piece portion when the second contact portion comes into contact with the mating terminal. Accordingly, contact pressure of the first contact portion as to the mating terminal is reduced, reducing the advantage of foreign matter removal by the first contact portion.
It has been found to be desirable to provide an electric connection terminal which prevents contact pressure of a first junction portion as to an object to be connected to, even when a mating terminal comes into contact with a second junction portion after the object to be connected to comes to into contact with the first junction portion. It has been found to be desirable to provide a connector including the same.